"There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot. These essays are the delights and dilemmas of one who cannot" - Aldo Leopold

2012/09/04

Mystery death of a Cuckoo Leafcutting Bee

Yesterday, after working from my office for a while, I went out behind the office building and looked for wildlife. First creature I saw was this Metallic Green Bee (Genus Agapostemon) visiting these aster flowers.

Love its colour.

Shortly afterwards, there was this Praying Mantis trying to blend into the vegetation.

It was getting too warm so I started to head back to my office, but not before I saw this strange scene.

It was a Cuckoo Leaf-cutting Bee (Genus Coelioxys) identifiable by its pointy black and white striped abdomen. It was dead, but why was it hanging upside down on a branch and held on by its powerful mandibles? It was so strange that I decided to take it with me.

I brought in my lens (with Raynox 250 attached) today and took the above photo. The antennae were gone but it still makes an interesting sight. I tried Googling the phenomenon but only came up with this similar image. Not entire sure of what to make of this scene. [Edit: My labmate suggests that this is the male's roosting posture and he probably died during his sleep.]

With autumn almost here, it makes sense for all the creatures to start migrating or dying off, I suppose.